A coalition of prominent opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has launched a movement aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu’s administration, beginning with strong condemnation of the state of emergency declared in Rivers State.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, Atiku Abubakar, speaking on behalf of the coalition, directly confirmed that the gathering was the commencement of a unified effort to oppose Tinubu’s rule in the 2027 elections.
The opposition leaders vehemently denounced President Tinubu’s “dangerous and unconstitutional” declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the subsequent suspension of the democratically elected governor, deputy governor, and state house of assembly. They characterised the president’s actions as an “unlawful” and “brazen assault on the constitution” and a “subversion of democracy.”
Atiku asserted that President Tinubu’s actions, purportedly driven by the political crisis in Rivers State, constituted a “misuse” of Section 305 of the Constitution, which pertains to state of emergency declarations. He argued that the constitutional requirements for such a declaration were not met, as there was no war, widespread violence, or breakdown of law and order in Rivers State.
The coalition further accused President Tinubu of “manufacturing” a crisis for political gain, alleging that the emergency declaration was a “power grabbing” tactic to control the state. They dismissed the president’s justification of pipeline vandalism as “untenable,” highlighting that security of national infrastructure falls under federal jurisdiction.
The opposition leaders issued a series of demands, including the immediate reversal of the emergency declaration, a call for the National Assembly to reject the “illegal action,” and an appeal to the judiciary to swiftly strike down the proclamation. They also urged Nigerians to “defend democracy” against what they deemed an “arbitrary” and “dictatorial” move.
Atiku drew parallels to past administrations, noting that even during states of emergency declared due to insurgency, governors were not removed from office. He warned against “manufacturing political crises” that could destabilise the Niger Delta region and urged against allowing “personal political interests” to “throw the country into unavoidable chaos.”
The press conference was attended by representatives of Peter Obi, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, and other political stakeholders. Apologies were announced from former governors Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Kayode Fayemi, and former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu.
